


A new hope

by nayakri



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-01 04:48:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14512887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nayakri/pseuds/nayakri
Summary: This work was written before I saw Infinity War, so it contains no real spoilers.----And you came back in time... why?-Because we lost.---Thanos won the battle but not the war. Strange sends Thor back in time to change... everything.





	A new hope

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy! :)

First, it hurt. Blue and grin tendrils of energy were pulsing angrily, wrapping itself around his body and mind mercilessly. Tears flew from his only eye, marking his bruised cheek with a wet trail. Muscles screamed helplessly under the skin, stretched and unstretched at every second, and the blood seemed to boil. His heart... he was no longer sure if it was still beating, though he knew that he wouldn't mind if it didn't. To see his fallen comrades... his brother...

Then, it disappeared, leaving him floating in immeasurable space of impossibility. Colours and shapes mixed together, some of them he couldn't even name. It was beautiful and terrifying at the same time, showing him how little he knew about the world he was living in. He wondered if it was what Strange called an inter-dimensional travelling. Still, he wasn't sure if he wanted to repeat this experience ever again. It felt like an eternity of falling and his mind started to wander.

Thinking about the past was far more pleasant than he anticipated, smiling whenever he came across a good memory, which allowed him to temporary forget about his current situation. There had been so many times he thought that what was happening was awful or embarrassing – now, he would pay to live through these events once again, just to get out of this hell the world had put him in.

Suddenly, it all had ended when colours turned black and shapes blurred together. Eternal darkness swallowed him like a starving cat and raw panic arose in his heart. He wanted to scream, but his mouth was kept shut. He wanted to free himself, but his muscles weren't responding to him anymore. He was trapped – Strange must have tricked him or made a mistake... There was no other possibility. He was doomed...

When the darkness opened, he managed to blink before he fell onto a coffee table.

Æ

-So. I hope you enjoyed your visit on Earth. We insist that you will never again visit us, especially not with a hostile army, intent on destroying everything that can be destroyed.

Tony smiled while Loki, gagged and chained, glared at him, promising a painful retribution in the nearest future. It had been a few minutes since Stark started annoying the prisoner with snarky remarks about the former Asgardian prince's predicament. It all began with him offering that promised drink and immediately withdrawing this proposition because of the gag. He enjoyed Loki's angry scowl so much that he made his personal challenge to make Thor's brother as furious as it was possible before his departure to Asgard.

-I believe that's quite enough, Stark – Romanoff cut in, seemingly keen on ruining his fun. He wasn't surprised, she was the one that did not enjoy his little play with Loki. Well, Bruce could be counted into that too, but he was busy with drinking his water on the other side of the room. And maybe Thor wouldn't be happy as well, but he was outside of the building at the moment, most likely buying some souvenirs.

At least Stark wanted to pretend that it was what the so-called God of Thunder was doing right now.

-Enough? Enough of what? - he played innocent – I'm merely having a civilised conversation with our privileged guest. Am I right?

-As long as he suffers – Barton said, adding sugar to his tea – I don't really care what are you doing to him.

-That was cold – Tony shivered theatrically before turning back to Loki – Well, Rudolf, nothing to say for yourself? Oh, I forgot. You cannot say anything.

The former prince suddenly shifted from one foot to another and Stark because of sheer reflex, took few steps back.

-Aren't you the brave one? - Romanoff mocked him and walked out of the room, leaving their four alone. Stark glanced at Loki, whose eyes were glittering with malicious amusement. His gag was making him almost entirely silent, though some kind of sound was now escaping from it. Tony could swear that the prisoner was laughing at him.

-You think it's funny? How about I throw you out of the window? Then we will see who will be laughing.

-Tony – Bruce called to him – Stop.

-But...

-Please, just... stop.

Tony sighed and glanced once again at Loki, who was now looking at him with a smug expression.

-See that guy over there? - he pointed at Banner with his knuckle – Remember to thank him when that thing will be off... If it weren't for him, I might have put you on a date with that pavement down there.

-Enough, Stark – Rogers said, entering the room with Romanoff and Thor at both of his sides. Tony scowled at the man but didn't comment on his words and took his drink, sipping it rather quietly until the prince of Asgard decided to put his hammer on a coffee table.

-No! - Stark yelled, dropping his glass and rushing over to protect the furniture with his own body. Thor looked at him as if he gone mad... Well, everyone looked at him like this, even Loki who should have no saying in this. But he didn't care until the threat in shape of a hammer ceased.

-What's gotten into you, Stark? - Barton asked, finishing his tea.

-Do you know how much I paid for this table? - he said hoarsely, panting slightly from the fear he felt a few seconds ago – Thousands! Rare wood, carvings man-made, created few centuries ago... - he took a deep breath and pointed a finger at bewildered Thor – No. Hammer. At. My. Coffee. Table. Understood?

The prince blinked, glanced at Loki, who shrugged, then at Rogers, who sighed tiredly and shook his head.

-Uh... - Thor backed off, looking at the table with confusion – If you say so, friend Stark. I'll keep Mjølnir far away from it.

-And your brother.

-What?

-Your brother also stays far away from it – Stark requested, seeing that Loki was already eyeing the table with that strange, mischief-promising look on his face. Thor raised his eyebrows but didn't protest.

-Of course. I'll keep an eye on Loki.

-Better keep both of them on him – Tony suggested – It won't hurt to be a little overprotective.

-Especially when Stark's furniture is on line – Barton snorted, lying on the couch as if he owned it. Tony glared at him, aiming his hand as if he had one of his repulsors on, but in the end, he shrugged and moved to make himself another drink.

-How long before Loki's trial? - Steve asked Thor, who scratched his head.

-I'm... not sure – Loki once again made a suspicious noise and Barton threatened him with a fist – Perhaps Father will want to try him immediately, but it can also happen later. I don't know.

Barton hummed, obviously unhappy with Thor's answer.

-And what kind of punishment we can expect? - Romanoff asked, looking between brothers. Loki leaned against the wall he was standing next to, obviously smug and confident. Thor, on the other hand, looked like a wild animal caught in a trap.

-It is... hard to predict.

-Are you joking? - Barton sprung up – He almost destroyed our planet!

-Actually, he tried to conquer it – Thor licked his lips – That's a difference. And Midgard... it is... not very important. But it is still under the Allfather's protection – he added quickly – and by trying to conquer it, Loki acted against our father's will.

-That's promising – Tony sniggered gloomily and poured his drink straight into his throat. Thor took a deep breath.

-I know you are angry, friends, but the matter is not that simple. An usurper or not, Loki is still a member of the royal family – a noise of some kind, probably a form of protest, escaped the gag, but Thor ignored it – and he cannot be judged as a common criminal.

-Wait a moment – Tony put the empty now glass away and approached the man – Let me put this straight. If Earth wasn't under the Alldad's protection, no one would give a fuck about Loki's invasion?

Thor frowned.

-I'm not sure if I understand...

-Would your father care if Midgard wasn't under his protection? - Romanoff asked seriously, though she seemed to know the answer already. Thor hesitated.

-It... it still would be an important matter. Such an attack could destroy the balance in the Nine Realms and...

-Would or not? - Rogers cut in, breathing shallowly. The prince looked like he was going to say something more, but in the end, he gave up.

-Most likely, no. In such case, I doubt Loki would get a bigger punishment than a simple warning or a temporal banishment.

Tony shook his head, disbelieving in what he had just heard.

-Then I guess we should be thankful that we are under the Alldad's protection.

-I think you're getting it backwards, my friends.

-Well, isn't it a nice protection? - Tony nearly spat but then remembered that it was his floor – We nearly destroyed ourselves twice. Where was Alldad in those times, huh?

-This is a protection, not babysitting! - Thor protested, now angry – We protect you from the dangers of the Nine Realms, not from yourselves! If you're not smart enough not to destroy yourselves, then I thank the Norns that we take the Tesseract from you. It will be safer in the vault.

-Listen, you... - Tony started, but he wasn't allowed to finish.

-Enough – Rogers said firmly – We have just won against an army of aliens. I think we deserve a bit of peace. And a while without arguing – he added, looking at Tony – Loki is going to be punished and Earth is safe. It will do – he said to Thor.

-It has to – Romanoff shook her head with a sigh.

Then a loud thunder crossed the sky, though it was a cloudless day, and a cracking sound could be heard afterwards. Before anyone could say anything, an air opened – literally – and from a black hole a person fell through, crashing on Stark's precious coffee table, making it collapse under the man's weight.

After a second of shock, Loki started to laugh. Even if the gag partially muted him, Tony still wanted to strangle the former prince.

-Okay... - Barton fished for his bow behind the couch. Why it was there was beyond Stark, but he decided to put this questioning for later. The man that was now crouching on the destroyed table, looked almost like Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Terminator" but with clothes on. His hair was short and greasy, every visible part of his body was covered in bruises, scars or even open wounds, and the armour which he was wearing had its better days far behind. He was panting as if he just fight his way out of Hell.

-That was not Mjølnir – Thor said suddenly, holding his hammer up as a proof.

-No shit, Sherlock – Tony muttered, making the God of Thunder frown – Hey, you! - he called to the man – Who the hell are you?! And why, in God's name, did you just land on my coffee table?!

-Don't involve God in this – Rogers warned him, already with his shield on the arm. Suddenly, the man said something but Tony didn't catch it.

-What? Speak up, Arnold.

-You know him? - Thor asked in pure bewilderment.

-No – Tony protested, cursing the prince's ignorance in humans' art. Mostly, his ignorance when it came to actors.

-The date – the man said – Which year is it?

His voice was familiar to Tony, but he couldn't quite place it. He hesitated because of that and Romanoff had to steal his show.

-2011 – she answered, not lowering her gun. Then the man chuckled. No, not chuckled. Laughed. Laughed with pure happiness as if he just won on a lottery. Tony exchanged looks with fellow Avengers, checking if he had his bracelets on, so he could quickly call his armour in.

-Okay, I'm getting nervous here – Stark spoke up when it became too hard for him to keep quiet – What's so funny? Why everyone today keeps laughing at something?

The man shook his head.

-I thought... I thought we made a mistake. I was falling for so long... I lost all hope. But I doubt you'll understand that, Stark.

-Do we know each other? - Tony asked.

-What do you mean by "I was falling"? - Romanoff asked at the same time. They looked at one another but said nothing and focused on the man, who was still on the ground, seemingly too tired to stand up.

-Seven years – the man said – It is a long time for falling. Imagine it, Stark. You fall through limitless space, through dimensions you cannot really understand... for seven years. You cannot move, you cannot speak, you cannot free. You cannot die. No hunger or thirst, no exhaustion. Just falling. And thinking. Regretting. For seven bloody years. One could go mad...

Tony was now frowning, trying to make something out of the man's rumbling. When he glanced at Asgardians, he saw that Loki was staring at the intruder with his eyes wide open – the former prince was shocked more than them. Why? Stark doubted that asking the gagged one questions would bring any useful answer.

-And you? - Romanoff asked, the only one that managed to keep the track – Have you gone mad?

The man was silent for a moment.

-If I did, then everything's lost – he sighed, picking himself up and immediately turning to the window. He limped to it, putting his battered hand on the glass and looking at the city. So many things in him were familiar that it was almost painful for Tony, especially since he couldn't sort it out. Where did he meet him?

-And I probably deserved that – the man added after a moment – I deserved more than just seven pathetic years. But it'll have to do. Strange was right, it is a perfect moment to change everything.

-I don't want to spoil your speech – Tony said, noticing a piece of red on the man's shoulder as if some cloth was ripped off – but I don't get it. Can anyone translate what he is saying? I think I'm lost.

-What a miracle – Bruce muttered and Stark shot him an unamused glare.

-Does time travel rings a bell then, Man of Iron? - the man asked and suddenly Tony knew. He knew and couldn't believe.

-Stark... - Romanoff whispered to him with shock on her usually confident face, but the man already turned to them. Tony couldn't help but gasp. Half of the intruder's face was covered in deep gashes, the other half missed an eye and a piece of ear. Nevertheless, it was still a face of only one person.

-I am Thor Odinson – the man proclaimed – Though I believe you had already guessed it.

-...holy shit... - Tony blurted out without thinking.

-Language – Rogers said immediately, also not thinking too much.

Æ

Thor pushed himself away from the window, already tired of seeing something that will be destroyed in future. This town will be levelled down, this world will become a giant graveyard for those who will decide to oppose the Titan. But this was all about it, yes? To stop it before it happens. The king of Asgard walked over the destroyed table and straight to the armchair in the corner to slump onto it tiredly. Though he felt no hunger, thirst, or exhaustion during the time travel, now he felt like a starved bigelsnipe.

He rubbed his eyes and when he put the hand away, he saw that Avengers – and Loki – were still staring at him as if they saw a dragon. A talking dragon, who just offered them a mug of beer. Beer. Thor would kill for a full tankard of Asgardian ale. But it had to wait.

-Are you done with gaping at me? - he asked impatiently – I have better things to do than posing for your amusement.

It didn't change much, but still, Stark closed his mouth. That was good, that was a progress. But it wasn't enough.

-If no one will speak up in five next seconds, I'll zap someone with a lightning – he threatened, allowing the mischievous sparks to dance on his fingers. Bruce, who was the nearest person, immediately took a few steps back.

**Sir –** Jarvis voice filled the room –  **I would like to point out that this is not a trick.**

-Thanks, Jarvis, I'll take it into consideration – Tony muttered, blinking at Thor's hand. Sparks, slowly as if unwillingly, disappeared.

-Time travel – Romanoff was the first one to really speak up – You are from the future.

-I am – Thor nodded – Seven years from this moment. More or less, there was no time for more precise calculation – he glanced around – Still, I believe Strange made it more accurate than I hoped it will be.

-And you are me – the prince said suddenly, gripping his hammer so hard that his knuckles were now white. The king sighed.

-And here I thought Loki was exaggerating whenever he claimed I was stupid.

The gagged prince was even more shocked now.

-I'm not stupid! - young Thor protested.

-Well, you definitely aren't a genius – the king snapped at him and then sighed – Sorry. I saw... to much.

Rogers took few steps forward.

-And you came back in time... why?

-Because we lost.

Stark snorted.

-You... you did that... because we lost? Even I'm not that selfish.

Thor smirked at the man.

-Allow me then to precise it: the whole universe lost. How does that sound?

-Well... - Tony licked his lips – Worse.

Rogers put his shield away and folded his arms, looking at Thor expectantly. Slowly, Romanoff hid her weapon and Barton lowered his bow. Only the prince looked agitated, probably still angry that he was called stupid by no one else but himself.

-What is it about then? - Steve asked.

Thor averted his gaze for a moment.

-About the most powerful creature in the universe. About six stones. About life and death.

-Details, please – Stark sighed.

-About Thanos.

A heartbeat.

-Who the fuck is Thanos? - Barton blinked while Loki looked as if he was about to faint. Thor made himself more comfortable in the armchair.

-Someone we need to stop before he'll become too powerful.

Stark shrugged.

-Sounds easy. Where do we start?

Thor took a deep breath. They had a lot to fix. But perhaps this time, it won't be too late.

Perhaps this time they will win.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please, if you have time, leave a comment! :)


End file.
